petting zoo
by Pluvio Princess
Summary: Ronald Weasley is basically subhuman. DaphneRon, For a challenge.


**petting zoo**

Summary: Ronald Weasley is basically subhuman. DaphneRon, For a challenge.

* * *

><p><strong><em>i. a show of gallantry<em>**

Daphne Greengrass lives her life like a princess. It's all very calculated; all regality and fine bone structure and perfectly raised eyebrows. She never thinks to rebel because she _likes_ the life she's been handed. She _likes_ the summer manors and the winter galas and the tight-knit circle that comes with the old pureblood aristocracy.

She _likes_ the old traditions and she feels nothing but contempt for change.

With all this being said, it comes as no surprise that Ron Weasley and his ilk disgust her on the best of days. She has no reason to associate with the likes of them and her disdain in no secret.

So it's quite the embarrassing situation when he happens upon her crying in an unobtrusive corner of the castle on patrol as Prefect. She's utterly mortified, of course. Pureblood women rarely allow themselves histrionics, let alone in front of infamous blood traitors, and here she stands with her mascara smeared under her eyes and her blotchy face looking perfectly wretched.

For his part, his face is contorted in the most awkward grimaces, an expression that is partially mortified, partially sympathetic. She wants none of it.

"Going to write me up, Weasel," she does her best to sneer, flip her hair at him.

She must still look utterly pathetic because the sympathy does not leave his eyes. He takes a tentative step toward her.

"I won't write you up," he offers lamely, not looking into her eye. He's surprisingly, quite the gentlemen, "Do you want me to escort you the loo?"

She snorts at the show of gallantry and his ears turn red but he doesn't say anything mean. There's a strange stirring in her chest, but she chalks it up to the dark cloud that's made its place in the Greengrass home.

**_ii. what a strange boy_**

She rarely travels alone but he manages to catch her during a brief moment away from the girls.

"What makes you think you can speak to me Weasley?"

There is a twitch at the corner of his mouth and, again, she is surprised by him. She's witnessed the infamous Weasley temper first-hand, courtesy of that miserable Ginevra, and she expected as much from him. He's never seemed to be the gentleman.

"Don't' worry," his voice is flat, "I'll leave you alone, just wanted to know if you were feeling alright."

"That's none of your concern."

He is awkwardly tall, awkwardly gangly. His eyes cool, shut off away from her, and, for some reason, it makes her angry.

"Guess you're right, won't happen again,

Objectively-speaking, his eyes are quite beautiful. She blames those pretty eyes for her strange lapse in judgement.

"I don't cry," she speaks to his retreating back, "what you saw was an accident."

He doesn't turn around to face her again and she bristles at the slight to her pride.

"You were quite pretty," he fumbles over his words. If she were a different girl it would have been endearing, "I've never seen a girl so pretty when she cries."

He leaves and a part of her cracks.

**_iii. tentative_**

Ronald Weasley is basically subhuman.

That's the excuse she gives when she begins to seek him out; subtly, at first, just tacit observations from the corner of her eye. She cannot possibly develop feelings for a subhuman being. He is just fascinating in the way a different species would be. She doesn't quite know what to make him. He seems innocent enough, almost shy, she does not think he'd deign to give her lip service. He cannot like her much. So she does not understand his kind words, however clumsy, or his attentions, however brief.

(she watches him too often;

she feels white hot anger when she

sees the Granger girl and she cannot believe

that she is so weak, that she'd buckle at the knees

for a pretty word and blue

eyes)

_i**v. nice boys**_

It takes her two weeks to pluck up the courage to approach him.

"Greengrass?"

She wants to talk to him because all of a sudden everything is so big and dark and she is scared and lonely and he seems like a nice boy. So she tells him, about everything, about the fear of Voldemort and her mother and father wavering and her world shattering around her. And he doesn't say much but he listens and he doesn't say a word.

He seems like a nice boy.

( and he _is_,

he is a nice boy)

**_v. a different kind of_**

They become sort of friends and when she asks him to Hogsmeade, his ears turn red, but he doesn't refuse her. She is not in love with him, she tells herself over and over; even when she can't breathe when he looks at her (even when her heart shakes when he smiles)

She fears for him. She knows that her world abhors him, her world would slaughter him and laugh.

"_Are you ashamed of me?"_

He asks her one day. He does not look at her and she shatters.

"Of course not."

He looks at her as though he does not believe her, "I know I am poor," for the first time his voice is steady, "I know I'm not particularly good at anything"

(and she wants to tell him that_ none of that matters_, none of those damn things matter. that she grew up surrounded by wealthy and talented men and none of them were half the man ronald weasley is)

"I don't think this will work, Daphne"

(it feels like the ground is crumbling beneath her)

**_vi. lonely hearts_**

He does not return for their seventh year.

(and every day she prays that he will come back safely)

When she glimpses him on the eve of the battle she feels as though she can take on the world. She runs to him, throws her arms around him. He is surprised, but he pulls her in close.

**_vii. written in the stars_**

"You know my grandmother was disowned for marrying my grandfather"

It is the eve of their wedding, he stands at the door.

"Cedrella Black, they say she was incredibly beautiful and reckless and fierce"

She gives him a look over her shoulder. His smile is enough to send her head spinning.

(she's never known a happiness like this)


End file.
